Freight
Planning for freight transport's growth |
Freight forum and operator survey |
Overweight vehicles
Freight forum and operator survey
Efficient movement of goods and services
A key aspect of living in a growing,
vibrant and urban city is the efficient movement of goods and services.
Auckland is the largest transport hub
in New Zealand, catering for over 75 per cent of imports, 42 per cent of exports
and the majority of international travel, through Auckland International Airport
and Ports of Auckland, generating approximately 34 per cent of the country's
national output. Ports of Auckland handles over 12 million tonnes in volume,
including over 43 per cent of the country's container traffic, and imports
approximately 140,000 vehicles a year.
The majority of freight is moved
through Auckland city by road, rail and sea. Long haul trips are predominantly a
mixture of sea, rail and road, while short haul trips are mainly confined to
road.
The movement of freight within the
Auckland region requires various transport modes to work together to meet supply
and demand. Toll, who runs the majority of the rail freight industry, also has
one of the largest fleets of trucks in New Zealand.
Due to existing transport
infrastructure, economic climate and land use patterns, a high proportion of
freight movement occurs by road transport. Land use in Auckland city highlights
the business zones and major industrial areas that generate and attract the
highest number of freight trips. Freight movement is also generated in
residential areas and town centres that require frequent delivery of goods and
services, for example to supermarkets, retail and entertainment activities.
Community and business concerns
Significant consultation was
undertaken in developing Auckland City's freight strategy, including industry
surveys and open days at shopping centres and trade expos.
The major concerns voiced by the
community in relation to the movement of freight relate to:
- the number of trucks on
the road network
- truck crashes
- engine braking noise and emissions
- trucks using residential roads as a through route
- trucks parking in residential roads
- freight transfer from road to rail.
Issues that were identified by the
freight industry and businesses that affect whether future demands for freight
movements can be met include:
- the completion of the
strategic road network in the Auckland region
- the quality of road
infrastructure
- geometric designs that
do not account for the physical characteristics and limitations of larger
vehicles
- lack of communication
and consultation with the freight industry on roading improvements
- operational delays due
to restrictions and limitations in infrastructure, for example lack of loading
facilities and reduction in trip rates because of increased
levels of congestion
- increased cost of
production and final products.
Freight strategy actions
Freight forum group
To achieve the aims and objectives of
the strategy, Auckland City developed a freight forum group.
The forum, which meets regularly
through the year, brings together industry, freight operators, users, local
government and the community to engage and work together so that all views are
taken into account in the decision making process.
The forum looks at
issues in a holistic manner taking into account the different needs of residents
and businesses.
One of the roles of the
forum is reviewing traffic management investigations on local roads, such as
Orakei Road, that receive a high volume of through traffic.
Local area freight management
Part of the strategy
involves producing plans for the management of freight in local areas.
Working alongside the
local business association, a Local Area Freight Management Plan is being
created for Rosebank business precinct. This considers a number of issues,
combining both transport and economic objectives, such as improving the times
when freight is transported, the needs of the freight industry and roading
improvements to improve the flow of freight traffic.
Local area freight
management plans have been developed successfully overseas, for instance in the
United Kingdom.
Email us if you
would like:
- more information or a copy of the freight operator survey
- a copy of Auckland city's freight strategy in full version or the summary
version.
